NPQLTD Apprenticeship
Level 3 Team Leader Apprenticeship with NPQLTD
Designed to give learners all of the essential knowledge, skills and concepts that underpin successful leadership of teacher development.
At a glance
Course duration
12 Months
Face-to-Face Events
3
Access to cross-sector leadership resources & expertise
Monthly Coaching
Sessions
Programme cost
£0 with Apprenticeship Levy funding
What is the NPQLTD Apprenticeship?
The NPQLTD Apprenticeship is a dual award which has mapped the DfE's NPQ for Leading Teacher Development (NPQLTD) to the Level 3 Team Leader Apprenticeship. This combination means learners concurrently earn two highly prestigious qualifications.
Learners gain specialised expertise in leading teaching from the NPQLTD. Simultaneously, the apprenticeship provides invaluable cross-sector insights and dedicated support, with practice-based learning ensuring new skills are embedded directly within their school.
Who is the NPQLTD Apprenticeship for?
The NPQLTD Apprenticeship is suitable for teachers who have, or are aspiring to have, responsibilities for leading the development of other teachers in their school.
They may have responsibilities for the development of all teachers across a school or specifically trainees or teachers who are in the first two years of their career.
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What are the benefits?
This dual-award combines the NPQLTD’s expertise in teacher training with the Level 3 Team Leader’s mastery of people management. While the NPQLTD provides the evidence-informed "what", focusing on how teachers learn and how to design effective CPD, the Level 3 Apprenticeship provides the "how" of operational leadership.
By merging these frameworks, you become a specialist in teacher devepment. You won’t just design training sessions; you will gain the coaching techniques and performance management skills needed to ensure professional development leads to lasting classroom change. This partnership ensures that teacher growth is not a one-off event, but a sustained process supported by project management tools and clear communication strategies .
- High-Impact Coaching: Use the coaching and feedback frameworks from the Level 3 standard to turn the NPQLTD’s theory of teacher development into transformative 1-to-1 support
- Strategic CPD Planning: Combine the NPQLTD’s sequencing of professional development with project management to ensure training cycles are planned, monitored, and delivered effectively
- Identifying Talent Gaps: Use the ability to identify learning needs to create bespoke development pathways for staff, ensuring CPD is targeted where it will have the most impact on pupil outcomes
- Leading Professional Change: Use change management principles to overcome "status quo" bias and successfully introduce new evidence-informed teaching methods to your team
- Evidence-Led Growth: Pair NPQLTD research on teacher expertise with the ability to collate and interpret data to measure the genuine impact of training on staff performance.
Why should I undertake the dual award?
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Cross-sector learning
Candidates access cutting-edge theory, resources and delivery from thought leaders and leading practitioners from all sectors of the economy.
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Awards 30 Master's credits
Can be used as a springboard onto an MA in Educational Leadership with the University of Chester.
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Practice-based programme
Candidates undertake school-based activities and are assessed on how they apply learning in their day-to-day role, helping develop and refine organisational management and leadership skills.
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A wider view of leadership
Candidates apply cross-sector management and leadership practice to their school context providing greater challenge and a broader perspective to organisational improvement.
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Access to extra 1:1 coaching and content
Throughout the course you will have access to 1:1 coaching and teaching to help you succeed in the qualification.
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A personal experienced tutor to help you
An experienced tutor will help you throughout both the apprenticeship and the National Professional Qualification.
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Utilise levy funding
This professional development opportunity makes use of the apprenticeship levy and includes the DfE accredited NPQLTD at no additional cost.
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Chartered Management Institute
Eligibility to become a Chartered Member and Institute of Leadership and Management Member.
This programme focuses on the holistic development of the appropriate skills, knowledge and behaviours, designed in partnership with cross-sector industries, to ensure bespoke coverage of all the relevant requirements of leading and managing at a senior level at your setting.
The NPQLTD Apprenticeship makes use of a blended delivery model consisting of Face-to-Face events, online study, webinars and coaching.
Face-to-Face
Learners will attend 3 face-to-face events via the blended delivery model. Our nationwide delivery partnership network allows us to bring face-to-face training to a school near you and facilitated by local school leaders.
Online Learning
Participants access online learning and support via our virtual learning environment (VLE) BUD. Through BUD, participants are able to engage with their learning communities of peers and access multimedia content. They can also access research and expert-led school practice aligned to the curriculum content for the qualification, receive high-quality feedback from experienced performance coaches and submit work for assessment.
How do I access the funding?
The NPQLTD Apprenticeship can be funded through your school’s apprenticeship levy. Schools will be able to access the funding through their apprenticeship service (AS) account.
If your school needs help setting up your AS account, just let us know and we’ll guide you through it.
The NPQLTD Apprenticeship costs £5,000 from Apprenticeship Levy funds or co-investment for non-levy payers where the government pays 95%.
The level of funding depends on each candidate’s learning needs, with a maximum allocation of £5,000 to cover the cost of the apprenticeship.
What is the Apprenticeship Levy?
The levy is paid by large employers with a wage bill of over £3 million. These employers pay 0.5% of their total annual pay bill into the levy. Most state-maintained schools and multi-academy trusts pay into the levy.
The levy is designed to create long term sustainable funding for apprenticeships and to give employers more control to provide their staff with a range of training opportunities.
Apprenticeship funded training is designed for both new and existing staff members.
Applicants must have full support from their school/organisation. A head teacher, member of the SLT, line manager or Chair of Governors (or similar authoritative role) must confirm their support and that all information submitted is true and correct. This is a Department for Education mandatory requirement.
To apply, applicants must have the following:
- Teacher Reference Number - see TRN Support Guide
- 2 years teaching experience
- Leadership aspiration/experience
If you are unsure if you meet the above requirements or have other relevant experience then please contact our team who will be able to support your application.
How to apply
Click below to apply for the Spring 2026 Cohort.
Apply Now
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